Creating your life plan will decide how much you want to make, where you want to live, the things you want to do, how much time you want to spend with your family, what business you will be in, and who you want to hang around with. You are a choosing organism. You can choose how you want to live your life. There are certain freedoms that you have that will allow you to create your life plan.
Finding your purpose and living your passions will be one of the greatest joys of your life. Are you ready to take that trip? Have you purchased the tickets to the lifestyle you want? It takes courageous patience to pursue your goals. Goal setting is more about creating a life you want to lead.
Designing your life gives you clarity. Are you in a position to earn the money you want to earn? Can you afford to move to the neighborhood you want? Will your current situation help you become debt-free, build wealth, or survive a financial downturn? This is where The Grand Design comes in. I learned this from Darren Hardy and this will help you create your life plan.
The Grand Design 10-Point Checklist to Creating Your Life Plan
1. Think It! Ink It!
Write it down and make it happen. Something magical happens when you put your thoughts on paper. It makes your dreams real. Reduce your plan to writing. Quit keeping it in your head. Dreams are nothing until they are written down and put into action.
2. Live In Fantasyland then Bring It To Reality
Now that you have written it down venture off to fantasyland. Be a kid again and dream big! Think of everything you could have if it was possible. You are exercising your dream muscles. Write down what you could do if you had all the skills and resources available. What could you do if you knew you couldn’t fail? Don’t filter, qualify, or judge. Just write.
Dream so big that it gets scary and you start to feel uneasy. Understand there are no commitments now. You are brainstorming. Get everything on paper. There will be time to separate the absurd from reality. Think of this as having a genie. Write whatever wish you want to come true. What 10 wishes would you wish for? Write that down.
3. Go Big or Go Home
Anyone can accomplish big things. Walt Disney created the World of Disney and his teacher said he didn’t have an imagination. Your mind doesn’t care about the size of your goal. If you choose little goals it will set out to carry out your little goals. Set big goals it will do the same thing.
Give yourself permission to Go Big! What would you do if you could not fail? What could you do if you had no limitations? Think about it. You go shopping every week because you know the items are there. If not you wait for it to be available again. It’s the same thing when you go after your big goals.
Pretend you are writing a script for your life (creating your life plan). How will the main character achieve his goals? What are their secret ambitions? What has the character always wanted to do but was afraid to start? This is how you go big.
4. Speak As If You Already Have It
Speak as if you already have it. Do not speak what you don’t want. Always speak in the positive and in the present tense.
5. You are “I AM”
Make your statements in the 1st person. “I am X” vs. “I want X”. When you state, “I Want” your mind will always focus on the “wanting to be X”. How do you feel when you are always wanting? When you state “I AM”, your mind will go to work producing what you have declared true.
6. Be Sure They Are Your Goals
Make sure you are climbing your own mountain. People start the wrong businesses, go into the wrong professions, and don’t excel in their strengths because they are living someone else’s dream. Your life plan depends on what you want and not the expectations of your family, colleagues, or society.
If your written goals are not from your heart and inner ambitions your subconscious mind will not work to produce them. This will cause frustration and give the illusion of failure. The truth is you avoided what you didn’t want because they weren’t your goals.
7. Aligned With Your Values
Athletes quit when they are not passionate about their craft. Entertainers stop entertaining. Corporate superstars dismiss themselves. Designing your life plan will be difficult when your goals are not aligned with your values.
Can you handle sacrificing your core values to accomplish some milestones? Goals must fit your values, standards, and desires. You can still conquer anything you want to. But why go after anything that will not bring joy into your life? Besides it’s almost impossible to keep striving when it goes against what you really desire.
8. Fight On!
Find your fight, my friend. Without a fight, we become complacent, lethargic, and sedimentary. We lose our purpose, passion, and energy. Everyone needs an enemy. I fight for people to become debt-free, build wealth, build businesses, and live their passions. An enemy gives you reasons to fight. This challenges your character and pushes you to exercise your skills and abilities.
What are you willing to fight for? What fight will help you design your life plan? You and your family’s future depends on your fight.
9. Self Limiting Beliefs
Don’t let your past stop you. Cut the anchors, chains, and leashes that hold you back. There are plenty of programs that can help you defeat self-limiting beliefs.
10. Fear Not
Fear = False Evidence Appearing Real. Listen, fear is a survival technique embedded in our DNA. But we don’t have to fear what our ancestors did. In our modern society food, water, shelter, and clothing is readily available. We are not running away from wild animals. Most fears are made up in our heads or suggested to us.
Your big dreams excited you. You probably got a little nervous when you wrote down your desires. Considerations started entering your head. There are fears in every journey. It’s a part of the process of goal setting. This is where courage comes in. Acting despite the fear.
Creating your Life Plan and On Your Mark…
Creating your life plan takes time. Go through these 10 steps. Get it out on paper and go! There is never a perfect time to start the only time you have is now. Go create your life plan now.
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